Interactive computer simulation systems are used to train personnel on complex and/or risky tasks. The interactive computer simulation allows a user to interact in a computer generated environment by controlling a simulated system (e.g., an aircraft, a ground vehicle, a space station, etc.). In order to provide a realistic and meaningful experience to the users of the interactive computer simulation. Simulated systems and computer environments tend to become more complex and/or are simulated in a more complex and thorough manner, which leads to an increase in the required amount of data. The amount of data required is such that an isolated computer system would have to be dimensioned unreasonably to be able to cope with it. Furthermore, when the computer generated environment needs to be modified, it is advantageous to update one or a few network locations serving many distributed simulation systems. However, when the data is distributed over a network, quality of service becomes a big challenge (e.g., network delay and limited bandwidth may affect the user experience). For instance, the behavior of a simulated airplane needs to be plausible and sufficiently predictable in the computer generated environment considering simulated conditions and commands from the user in the simulator, which requires access to a large amount of data.
The present invention addresses data management considerations in the context of interactive computer simulation systems.